Show the girl in the mirror STORY FROM THE START laurl devon ray young chap somewhat inclined to wild bas has recently succeeded as 1 hia wealthy tl ter barbara who ha helped him to succeed eed haa just been married and la rolac to japan leaving baurle on his own and bangs his theatrical partners have promised barbara to keep an ey on baurle the coad him for his of late and he retorts that he seeks adventure prom bis window in new york he sees the reflection of a beautiful earl in a mirror in the bouse opposite from the elevator ele valor boy in the earl s hauae learns the earl s name Is mayo again in the mirror s reflection he sees her with a re volver and fears she means to commit suicide he rushes into her apartment and her confidence induces her to lunch with him chouch she warns him of danger CHAPTER IV continued hen we were oer in your studio he said 1 I admitted that twice in mv life I 1 had tried to mike anav with on self only two other persons in the horld know that but id like to tell you about it if you dont mind she looked at him there were orange things in the look things that thrilled him and other things he sub consciously resented without under when she spoke there was a more personal note in her voice hin it had et held ton she asked and she added almost lightly that seems absurd 1 I know baurle spoke the new huell ty he had found only today you think that because tm so young I 1 have been desperate enough for that hut you re youner too he was looking straight at her as he spoke her eyes a little hard anil challenging then dropped different she muttered he nodded 1 I know the causes were different enough he agreed but the feeling back of them that pushes one up against such a proposition must be pretty much the same sort of thing anyway it makes me understand and I 1 consider that it gives me a claim on you and the privilege of try ing to help you her eyes were still cast doati and suddenly Bud denly she flushed a strange dark flush that looked out of place on the pure whiteness of her skin bhe had the exaggerated but wholesome pallor of skin that often goes reddish hair and red brown eyes it does not lend itself becomingly to flushes and this deep flush lingered an unwelcome visitor throughout her muttered al most ungracious words oh please dont talk about it she bald brusquely its no use I 1 know you mean to be kind but you can t do anything oh but just where you re wrong baurle spoke with a cheerful assurance he did not feel it I 1 haan hadn t been there myself I 1 d talk all ports of twaddle to you and do more harm than good and id probably let you go on thinking you were facing trouble that no one could help in stead of that you and I 1 are going to hold your bugaboo up to the light and see just what it Is and how small it Is and then he smiled at her were going to get rid of it to rether she echoed his words vaguely as if not knotting quite what to say get rid of it tel tell me what it Is and ill how you how it can be downed she pushed back her chair as if anxious to put a greater distance be tween them no she exclaimed its impossible I 1 can t talk about if then in an effort to ride kracl alie issue lou said you wanted to tell ne about your arpe erpe I 1 1 I do but it isn t a nice story for it wont take long he fioke reluctantly it was not easy to hook two such memories out of the darkest pool of ills life and leold them op to a stranger oil I 1 was a young idiot h rushed on and I 1 suppose I 1 liada t the proper start off at least I 1 like to think theres some excuse for me my father and mother died when 1 was in knickerbockers and I 1 grew up doing tory much as I 1 pleased I 1 made a lad job of it before I 1 was twenty one I 1 was expelled from college and 1 bad worked up a pretty black reau then I 1 gambled and lost a lot f money I 1 dlan t haie and it began to look as it about the only safe place for me was the family lault 1 I made two efforts t get there the arst time n wise old docton stopped me and neer told any one abit it the time one of my took a hand in the game I 1 don t know why they did it I 1 don t either my pal of the doctor thought I 1 was worth saving but they talked to me like dutch uncles and BI chum kept at it till I 1 gave him my word that id never attempt anything of he sort again ou were just nn unhappy boy he as if thinking aloud with all life before you and man friend to back jw up and you be suggested are just an unhappy girl with all life before I 1 dont know about your fiends but III war re ot a lot of by ELIZABETH JORDAN ass kr tb century bertte lie lbook tier head ot one faie said slowly 1 I mean not one I 1 dare to call on now 1 I like that I 1 youve got roe to call on right here this time she really smiled at him it was a little smile but both lips and eyes took part in it he waited but she said no more lie began to ft ar that his confidence had been alren to no purpose evidently she had intention of making a con in return he resumed ills at tack from a new angle you e been disappointed in something or some one he s ild oil as she made a gesture don t think im belittling I 1 know it was something big but the finish you chose meant to be or it would hae come off you see eliat don t wu alic ery sun in its course took pains to show you to me in time to stop it that meins something miss aavo mavo she scorned slightly startled it Is miss majo it tints lie name he elevator boy gave me yesterday it will do she spoke absently already on the trill of another thought suddenly she alien iou brought the basket or sent it ohe cried it was you how dared youl slie had half risen from her chair bending across the table he gently her back into it sit down he said she hesitated and he repeated the command this time almost curtly under the new tone she obeyed im going to tell you something he went on ive exhausted my slen der resources of experience and tact I 1 don t know what anyone else would do in this situation but I 1 do know what im going to do myself and what Is a lot more important I 1 know what youre going to do she laughed and he winced at the sound ens she said im going to finish the act you interrupted oh you ro not 1 her lips set do you imagine you can prevent me 1 I know I 1 can ills quiet assurance impressed her how she asked half mockingly ery easla I 1 con take you from this restaurant to the nearest police station and have you locked up for attempted suicide you know ilg a crime here the word the had both avoided nas out at last although he had spoken it cry softly its echoes seemed to fill alie big room slie shrank back and stared at him her hands clutching the sides of her chair you wouldn t dare I 1 ill do it in exactly fifteen minutes unless you give me your word that you will never make another attempt of the kind he took his watch out of his pocket and laid it on the table between them its exactly quarter past twelve he said at half past ahl and I 1 thought you were kind I 1 there was horror in the brown eyes now and an antagonism that hurt him it be kinder to let you go back to that studio and how dare you interfere in my at fairs I 1 ho gave iou the right I 1 ate gave me the right im its chosen specialist on the job and you may take my word for it TO dear girl the jobs going to be adone and done up brown he lit a froah cigarette it will be mighty unpleasant for you he went on thoughtfully there s the publicity you know of course all the newspapers news pipers will have your ohl and a lot of romantic stories oh ou you but of course ou can avoid all that he her by giving me your promise she clinked back her rising fury and made an obvious effort at self control it I 1 agree to these terms of yours site asked between her teeth may I 1 be sure that you will leae me in peace and that I 1 shall not see you again lie looked at her reproachfully dear me nol why you 11 have to see me ever day ive got to look after ou for a while at her ex his tone changed you see he said with smiling seriousness you have shown eliat just for the present you cant be trusted to guide jour own actions so fro going to stick around and guide them for a few days until I 1 am sure you are your self again 1 lails again she choked on the words tills Is intolerable oh I 1 don t think so you can see for yourself that I 1 mean well and that im going to be a harmless sort of watchdog alo you can depend on me to go oft duty as soon as ita safe rut for the present youre go ing to have a guardian and lt up to you to decide whether that guar dlan shall be aurence devon verv much at your service or the police force of the city of new york she had I 1 er chin in her hands now in her characteristic pose and was retarding him without resentment when alic finally ccoke it waa out resentment too but coldly as one states nn unpalatable fact lou she said ore a fool I 1 aarle flushed then smiled that Is not a new theory he ad two hours ago she said 1 I warned vou that it would be danger ous to vou to interfere in my affairs did I 1 not ion did 1 I warn you again it may be a matter of life or death put your watch in sour pocket pay lour and take me home ihen go awag and forget me I 1 lurle el incel at the witch 62 P alae used up eight since I 1 gae you our choice he minded glicr ion anre like a child she acred spinning his top oc a pod maizine maiz lne bigg I 1 mrle frowned a little loo melodramatic he murmured mur mure 1 I tell jou ohp slid fiercely fler cely K arc acting like a fool if vou ant 60 fere with me ion will be drawn all sorts of double perhaps in tragedy een into disgrace I 1 ou re forgetting alie net he i minded lier the nice net you me this morning with room two also again he looked at t watch you re overlooking the 1 warn you agian it may ba a mat ter of life or death of time bee how fast these little hands are moving the nearest police station Is only two blocks away un less ou gle me that promise you will be in it in he made a calculation in just about four minutes she seemed to come to a decision listen to roc she said rapidly 1 I cannot be frank with you 1 I re noticed that I 1 aarle interpol latch with regret she ignored the interruption but I 1 can tell you this much I 1 am not alone in ray trouble others are involved they are desperate it Is because of them that I 1 sou understand baurle shook hie head lie did not understand at all but vague and un pleasant stories about espionage and foreign spies suddenly filtered through his mind it sounds an awful mess lie said frankly if its got an thing to do gernian propaganda she interrupted with a gesture of impatience 0 o nol she cried 1 I am not a germini or a propagandist or a pact fist or a spy that much at least I 1 can tell sou then all right baurle glanced at his watch again if sou had been a german aps bps he added a attle round knob of hair on the back of bour head and bombs in ever pocket I 1 coulden couldn t have had much to do alth you I 1 coulden couldn t hut as jou and your companions are not in that kind of thing I 1 am forced to remind ou that you II 11 be headed toward the station in just one minute y ayar TAW 1 I bate you she said between her teeth he shook lita hend at her oh oo 00 ou dont t he said kindle but lse that you re a self willed youns person association with roe study ofray of ray will do a bwy you dy the way you have seconds left w A do you want to be she hissed the words at him good gracious no 1 I 1 aurlea his eyes on the twenty seconds he ended 4 do you want to be maimed pled or or J lie looked up in surprise 1 I dont know why you imagine 1 an jaim I 1 1 inn way about anything you lla e a depressing outlook crumbled baurle contentedly sitting down again it playing h game to spoil my triumph with such predictions as that especially as ins going to hae mi way about a lot 01 things right now I 1 ha e your w ord he added yes good biow ill give ou my pro gram first of all im going to be a brother to you and I 1 don t think he ended thoughtfully that I 1 ve ever offered to be a brother to any girl be fore loure a nice boy she said abruptly he smiled at her A nice boy though a fool I 1 hoped you would notice that you 11 bo daz aled by my virtues before youre through with me he went on con the reason ire neer offered to be a brother to any girl be fore Is that ve got a good sister of mv own her one fault la that ashes always bossed me I 1 warn you from the start of our relations that I 1 m going to be the boss it w be the first time I 1 e eer based any one and im looking forward to it a lot the faintest suggestion of a smile touched her short upper up aboe it her red brown eyes hid softened again bhe drew a deep breath it s strange she lou e let me in for all borts of things you don t realize and set somehow I 1 feet for tho time at least as if 1 hid botn ly ing under the weight of lie world and some one had lifted alie wiet clita thing air me can t i ou by a supreme effort ot the imagination fancy that I 1 lifted it off suggested mildly tills time she leilly smiled 1 I can she conceded and aldi out any effort ct all she added hoin bedrij 1 I can tones us both under it again he shook his head A new character enters mysterious drama what does the girl fear when will it strike TO BE |